Police Ask HH To Retract Lies

UPND president Hakainde Hichilema dancing after filing his nomination papers at the Supreme Court in Lusaka on august 8,2011

POLICE have asked UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema to retract his statement that the government is training youths as militias in Sudan or face prosecution in the courts of law.

However, Hichilema, when he was earlier summoned at Lusaka Central Police yesterday, refused to retract his statement as his lawyers said he was not ready to do so.

“In consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions, he directed that Mr. Hichilema should retract his earlier statement so that the case comes to a close.

We had an opportunity to discuss with his lawyers for him to retract the statement but the lawyers stated that Mr. Hichilema was not ready to make a retraction,” said Lusaka Province police commissioner Solomon Jere during a press briefing yesterday.

He said the matter was very sensitive and asked Hichilema to follow the instructions given.

“…If he doesn’t, then we have to prosecute him in the courts of law. So today’s meeting was a follow-up to police investigations in which Mr. Hichilema on June 14, 2012 was warned and cautioned for the alleged offence of publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public contrary to section 667 of the Penal Code CAP 87 of the Laws of Zambia,” Jere said. “But due to the unruly behaviour of his cadres who had accompanied him, we could not proceed with the interview.

To this effect, we are again summoning him tomorrow (today) at 09:00 hours at Police Headquarters. We want to warn all unruly cadres, whether from the PF, UPND, MMD or any other political parties or grouping that police will not tolerate uncouth behaviour.”

In trying to disperse the cadres, police fired teargas canisters which, in the process, also affected journalists who went to cover Hichilema’s interview.

Hichilema, who was summoned to appear before police, arrived at Lusaka Central Police around 10:20 hours in the company of singing and slogan-chanting UPND cadres and some party leaders.

UPND spokesperson Charles Kakoma in a tussle with police officers at Lusaka Central Police Station after party president Hakainde Hichilema appeared for questioning yesterday

Immediately he arrived, Hichilema proceeded to the second floor of the station where the interview was supposed to have taken place and cadres forced their way while chanting slogans of: “Get one get all! Moto wayaka!!

The cadres, who were almost stampeding into the room where Hichilema was headed to, were then blocked by the police.

It was at this point that the cadres continued chanting slogans against the government and police. Some of them taunted police and mockingly told them they had no teargas canisters. Others became uncontrollable, forcing the police to fire teargas canisters, which sent them and journalists scampering for safety in different directions.

In June, police recorded a warn and caution statement from Hichilema for defamation of President Michael Sata after he likened the head of state to a clueless hyena.

A warn and caution statement was also recorded from him for publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public when he claimed that the government was training youths as militias in Sudan.

Meanwhile, chief government spokesperson and information minister Kennedy Sakeni said Hakainde had a tendency of turning police stations into show-off facilities.

“This is indiscipline of the highest order,” he said in his comments on the unruly behaviour of UPND cadres at Lusaka Central Police.
Sakeni said police stations were not for politics and officers who operate from there should be allowed to work freely without interference.

“The police station is not for politics; it is for serious business. You cannot make a police station as a political show-off facility where you have to mobilise all your cadres and take them to the police station and disturb the process of how the officers are supposed to handle matters. It’s unfair, it’s uncalled for and that is the worst kind of indiscipline…,” he said.

He said Hichilema was summoned to appear before the police in his individual capacity and as such, he was supposed go there with only his lawyers.

“I don’t know if these political machinations will take him anywhere but I believe Zambians are able to judge the type of leader he is. He is exposing himself that he is not a leader worth following. A matter of such nature, you cannot just carry cadres with you, police want to interview you. He should just own up and answer the charges against him,” said Sakeni.

And Lusaka Province PF youth chairperson Kennedy Kamba said they were incensed by unwarranted attacks on President Sata from Hakainde, saying they would send him into early retirement from politics.

And Lusaka Province PF youth publicity and information secretary Stanley Chumiah said the youths had notified the police on their intended protest against Hichilema’s conduct.

36 Responses to Police Ask HH To Retract Lies

Really scaring- the Police brutality we are beginning to experience. Kibwela kasongo commented soon after PF won elections to that effect and it seems we are headed for a POLICE STATE indeed.

Was MCS forced to retract whatever bad thing He said against the late LP Mwanawasa? What are PF trying to hide?

Candela

August 10, 2012 at 11:00 pm

Unda 5 has become more frustrated. sort him out.

kakolwe

August 10, 2012 at 11:35 pm

Now you are at it! Get one get all? What nonesense! When Sata was sent to jail by LPM, he went alone. HH waponta & you take a whole horde of caders to hide behind? Sorry chum! You draw a blank. You are the greatest COWARD of a leader. In that 1 action, you lacked leadership for your slogan chanting chimps.
OH! i forgot. You had just managed to provide employment to some unemployed. Nice salary, part of HH money & tear gas! Dull.

Brother HH your conduct at the police station is a clear indication that your party lacks morals and can not take us anywhere.iam sorry UPND better do something else,politically you have failed.
Mind you,we are watching your actions closely,but we are now seeing why UPND is reducing in size.
I CHALLENGE YOU HH,GO TO POLICE HQ ALONE ,PROOVE THE TRUTH OF YOUR STATEMENTS,ONLY THEN SHALL WE KNOW YOU ARE A MAN OF MORAL STANDING.BOOKING MACOPOLO’S FULL OF CADRES FROM SOUTHERN WILL NOT BOOST YOUR POLITICAL STANDING.
FELLOW ZAMBIANS IT IS TIME TO THINK OF DEVELOPMENT AND NOT CHEAP POLITICKING.

kapuli wa ng'ongo

August 11, 2012 at 8:25 am

HH JUST SAY SORRY AND MOVE ON YOU LOSE NOTHING .

SHAME!

August 11, 2012 at 8:43 am

NO APPOLOGY TO MAKE HH… you are the man. let them arrest you and build u up even

goe gregoe

August 11, 2012 at 9:06 am

Hakainde means what?
It means a son of a trader who was just passing on.
The gave pregnant a son who is a basted child.
Ask HH who is the Father he does not know.
That why is behaviour is like that.

LESA USOKA BENCHA,u are not being honest,presidents of opposition have no immunity,who can be u to tell the police on which chair should your president sit at the police station,if u are one of the persons who escorted HH then my brother u should change your mind,what do u think the police will do to HH if he goes alone without u, in fact HH is even more safe in police presence than with u.If u want peace in Zambia and u are so close to HH tell him to retract that statement that is so.He is a liar president imagine even lying that he is sick like we usually do to get a sick note at the clinic to present to your employers because u had some private business to do

5r4cy

August 11, 2012 at 4:04 pm

i love this man HH nomater what and i will support him nomater what fools say.

zambian

August 11, 2012 at 5:43 pm

HH should be left alone. He never said the govermnent BUT PF as a part had signed a memeoradum with Sudan ruling part. Check your facts rights because PF General Secretary Winter Kabimba informed the nation so. Winter Kabimba who confirmed this signed on behalf of his part.This information did not come from a cabinet minister. According to Sudan, Militia training forms part of the curriculum. So HH was very right that PH was sending candres to train in Sudan in militia. In view of this its only the PF part who should challenge HH to retract what he said and not the goverment using government resources. The police and DPP have been mislead and serving wrong interest and should therefore not surmon HH.Supposed it was any PF leader who had said the UPND or any other opposition part was sending its cadres to train in militia in Sudan, would the police and DPP moved in and surmon that PF leader to answer the chanrges? God will virdicate HH and so lets treat him well you never know who he may become in the near future. Only God knows our futures and so we should not call him all sorts of names. Those of us who do not like him, I hope our hate is not due to his wealth. We just need to seek wisdom and advise from him on how he does his business than condemning and calling him names. He is sucessful gentleman and we should just seek his piece of advise and become self empowered. It is even difficult given what is his subjected to since PF came into office for him to offer any help to PF governement. Mwanawasa who had respect for him benefited and today we are all busy praising the late president. PF should take advantage of all Zambians who have a record of economic successes and learn from them to build a strong economy for our country. May the good Lord have mercy on us, zambians

MaxMbizo

August 11, 2012 at 9:25 pm

Zambian,

The PF makes up the current government. So if you accuse the PF of sending their cadres for militia training in Sudan, in some way you are implicating the current government, unless you are engaging in some hair – splitting exercise. If HH insists that that PF was sending cadres to train in Sudan, why not just give the evidence: the names of the PF cadres sent for training, the day they left the country, the flight number of the plane they used, and the institution in Sudan where they received the training. This will not only embarrass the PF government but also enhance HH’s status as an honest and decent politician and put the matter to rest.

john banda

August 11, 2012 at 10:31 pm

it is really painful to be ranning away from the police,today it is reported that he is unwell may he be locked up for a day so that he can learn.It is believed also that he is the one who incited those miners in southern province and the youths to mob the president at show grounds. He is not aware that our next president is jnr Chipimo not him nor the finished preacher Mumba.

HH is Zambian love him or hate him he has his rights same like you and me. Let him exercise them, MCS was worse when it came to these antics, but his destiny was different to HH’s, whether he’s being copycat, let see where it will lead him to. This issue of tribal advantages should not be determinant of who will lead this nation.

mwaba mwinji

August 12, 2012 at 8:21 am

if our part PF will start considaring useless stories like these,they will end up giving HH full support all over country.let THEM just ignore and do THIRE job as gov.that IS how president sata won support from the MMD.

kachenche

August 12, 2012 at 10:34 am

African politics will always be the same!!!!

Keen Followe

August 12, 2012 at 10:52 am

The correct and real liar is Membe! Anyone, with correct reasoning knows that HH is the man!

boza imabwelera

August 12, 2012 at 6:06 pm

He lied alone that pf is training youths why get his militia men with him? HH is a coward

MUNALIAN

August 12, 2012 at 6:28 pm

HH z a fool kubeba……………

WAMONA

August 14, 2012 at 12:23 pm

HH IS A COWARD HE IS NOT FIT TO BE A NATIONAL PRESIDENT MAY BE HE CAN TRY FARMING.HIS HATRED IS BAD MAY BE A TONGA PRESIDENT NOT FOR ZAMBIA. HE IS WESTING HIS TIME.HE IS IN THE WRONG FIELD. HE SHOULD FIND OUT FROM OUR PRESIDENT WHO WAS VOTED BY MAJORITY ZAMBIAN WHO PASSED THROUGH ROUGH AND SMOOTH.